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Day 318: Mate in 2

Lesson of the day

Mate in two: your move, any reply, then the mating blow. Start with the most forcing first moves — checks and sacrifices that shrink the opponent's options to almost nothing. Against every single reply you must have a mate ready, so check them all without exception. The common failure is analyzing the pretty defense and forgetting the boring one.

Warm-up

1. Winning blow: knight to f4 (e6)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c1 (d3·3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: bishop to g5 (c1·3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: pawn to e5 (d4·12)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f2 (f1)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: rook to d3Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to g5 (h4·25)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to c6 (g2)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c6 (d5·33)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to f5 (e4·66)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h6 (c1·4)Shuffle Rating 1090Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h8 (d4·6)Shuffle Rating 1090Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to a6 (c4·2)Shuffle Rating 1090Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: queen to g1Shuffle Rating 1090Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f3 (d1·2)Shuffle Rating 1090Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: queen to a8 (b7)Shuffle Rating 1090Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: bishop to d3 (g6)Shuffle Rating 1092Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: bishop to e5 (a1)Shuffle Rating 1090Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: queen to b6 (e3·2)Shuffle Rating 1090Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: knight to d6 (f5·2)Shuffle Rating 1090Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to h3 (f1·4)Shuffle Rating 1090Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 2: queen to f7 (h7)Shuffle Rating 1090Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Discovered attack: rook to d8Shuffle Rating 1087Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to d8 (d1·17)Shuffle Rating 1090Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: rook to g8 (g7·2)Shuffle Rating 1090Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to f8 (f1·18)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Winning blow: bishop to c6 (e4·12)Shuffle Rating 1290Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Winning blow: rook to f1 (f2·4)Shuffle Rating 1340Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to d7 (f7)Shuffle Rating 1150Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to f4 (c7)Shuffle Rating 1150Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 319 →